Unitary tag



June 1955 H. F. STOFFEL 3,137,450

UNITARY TAG Filed May 22, 1961 INVENTOR H. F. STOFFEL BY ad .2 r1

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,187,450 UNITARY TAG Hans F. Stolfel, Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to Stoffel Seals Corporation, Tuckahoe, I LY. Filed May 22, 1961, Ser. No. 111,793 1 Claim. (ill. 40-21) This invention relates to merchandising and display and to the communication of information relating to various items of merchandise, including the contents of receptacles of various kinds.

In connection with the merchandising of various articles it has become the practice to attach a tag attesting to the quality and nature of the article or the contents of the receptacle, such tag sometimes being referred to as a seal of approval.

Tags of this nature may also be used toadvertise a trade name or trademark and to indicate when various services have been performed on vehicles, including the addition of antifreeze and lubrication.

Heretofore, various kinds of labels and tags have been employed, but there has been a need for tags which can be inexpensively produced in large numbers and which are highly pleasing in appearance, easy to apply and remove and relatively durable.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tag having the described qualities and which is adapted for a variety of uses in connection with the marchandising and display of various articles and for indicating the performing of various services on vehicles and the presence of antifreeze or other commodity.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of one manner of using the device;

FIG. 2, a plan view of a tag in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3, a section on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a plan view of a modification; and

FIG. 5, a perspective of the device of FIGS. 2 and 3 in closed position.

Briefly stated, the invention is embodied in a molded unitary tag having a display portion at one end of a strap with a socket for resiliently holding the other end of the strap which is provided with a tang engageable within the socket, the interior portion having sheet material on which information may appear and the strap having means for facilitating insertion and withdrawal of the end into and out of the socket, the device being relatively flat throughout its entirety.

With further reference to the drawing, the tag includes a display and socket portion and a strap 11. The

display and socket portion consists of an enclosed rim 12, which may be of various cross-sections, and which has in its interior sheet material 13 on which information for advertising or other purposes may appear. The sheet material may be paper, cardboard, sheet metal or plastic and is embedded in the rim as it is molded. Mounted at one side of the rim or at its apex is a socket portion or block 14 which is preferably of substantially less thickness than the rim 12. The rear side 15 of the block 14 is substantially flush with the rear side of the rim 12.

The strap 11 extends as a continuation of the front side 16 in order that when closed the device will have a more Patented June 8, 1865 attractive appearance. At its opposite end the strap has a tapered extremity 18 with a tang 19 projecting from the upper surface of the strap, such tang engaging the abutment 17 within the recess of the socket 14. Adjacent to the end 18 the strap has a series of projections 21 for engagement by the fingers in order to facilitate positioning of the end of the strap within the socket.

In the modification of FIG. 5 the tag has an information display portion which is circular rather than teardrop shaped, it being understood that various shapes may be employed. 7

Accordingly, it will be seen that the present invention includes a display and information conveying tag of substantially unitary construction and which may be produced relatively inexpensively. In its open position the tag is substantially flat for convenience in shipping and storing, and the tag may be used for the display and conveying of information in connection with the merchandising of various commodities.

Although various materials may be used, it has been found that a relatively hard thermoplastic such as polyethylene is suitable for the molding of an article in accordance with the present invention.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by'that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claim.

What is claimed is:

A tag having a display and socket portion and a strap,

said display and socket portion comprising an enclosed rim, a relatively thin sheet embedded within the enclosure of the rim and of substantially less thickness than that of said rim, a socket portion connected to said rim, said socket portion being of less thickness than that of said rim and having its front surface substantially in the plane of such sheet material and its back surface substantiallyf flush with the back of said rim, and a strap extending from said socket portion and having its upper surface flush with the front surface of said socket, said strap being relatively thin compared with the thickness of said socket, said socket having a recess in alignment with said strap and being of a height greater than the thickness of said strap over a major portion of its length and having an opening of reduced height, said strap having a tapered extremity and a tang of a thickness greater than that of the strap, whereby insertion of the extremity of the strap into the opening will result in engagement of the tang with the socket housing, said strap having a raised portion adjacent to its end for facilitating its insertion into the socket.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 5/58 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, 'Primary Examiner.

E. V. BENHAM, Examiner. 

